The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has
declared its support for the Niger Delta Avengers’ plan to break away from the
country on October 1.

The group said its support for Avengers is
borne out of their philosophy that is related. It, however, reiterated the fact
that it has no working relationship with Movement for the Emancipation of Niger
Delta (MEND).

The spokesperson of the group, Emma
Powerful, said: “We have nothing to do with MEND, but our philosophy aligns
with that of Niger Delta Avengers who bravely called for the release of our
leader and has maintained it till date. Avengers and IPOB are one in pursuit of
freedom for all the peoples of Biafra. IPOB is in total support of the proposed
independence declaration proposed by Avengers on the 1st of October.

“IPOB recognises the efforts of the
reformed MASSOB as they have publicly stated that they are no longer working
with the now discredited leadership of BIM and former MASSOB. As long as they
maintain this stance and do not engage in activities capable of undermining the
pursuit for freedom, we shall continue to acknowledge their efforts. Some
so-called Igbo leaders are mere Hausa Fulani stooges and will kill their own
children if the North demands it. Thankfully, we still have honorable Igbo men
left.”

He asserted that the group would not soft
pedal in spite of the continued detention of their leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
“IPOB is not in the business of soft-pedalling like previous groups that may
have given the impression they were campaigning for our freedom when all they
were after was settlement. At the end of this battle for freedom, the world
will know that there are those who cannot be bought nor compromised like Nnamdi
Kanu and the IPOB that he leads.

“We want, first and foremost, the release
of our leader and other detained members of IPOB after which he would direct us
on how to negotiate terms of reference for a referendum which we launched a
while back. Nobody will be forced or coerced. We want to build a model society
based on the consent of the people not one imposed by a few group of people.”

Explaining why two lawyers who spoke on
behalf of the group were sacked, Powerful said: “The lawyers spoke out of turn
and have been duly sanctioned. We suspect that some elements within the
executive of Ohaneze Ndigbo and Governor Rochas Okorocha were behind it. IPOB
under instruction from our leader has only three official outlets through which
its mind or views can be expressed and these are first his wife, IPOB
spokespersons and announcement on Radio Biafra. Apart from these three, no one
can claim to represent or speak the mind of our leader. Individuals are allowed
to speak their minds but they cannot say they are doing so for our leader
without his explicit consent.”

The planned secession of the Avengers
has also attracted knocks from frontline Ijaw national leader, Chief Edwin
Clark .

Speaking at a one-day Stakeholders Meeting
of Niger Delta Coastal states , held in Warri, last weekend,,Clark dismissed
the threat by the NDA to declare Niger Delta Republic on October 1
saying that the unity of the country was not negotiable and
that, the strength of the nation lies in its diverse culture, population
and the unity of her people.

He called on the Federal Government to
re-visit the restructuring aspect of 2014 national conference report in order
to address some of the burning issues of socio-economic and political imbalance
in the country.

He said: “I posit that the answers to many,
if not all, of these issues are contained in the report of the 2014 National
Conference. My strong belief is that only a genuine restructuring of the
political administration of the country will remove most of these problems in
the country. With such, the issues that lead some of us to take up arms will be
resolved.”